“Take care of it,” Rion orders.
She swoops down toward the area in question as the enemy planes reach us and we launch into combat. I catch a glimpse of a generous fireball from below before my attention is diverted to the bad guys in front of me.
The dance begins pretty much the same as the hundreds of dogfights before it. I launch a friendly group of shots at a perspective dance partner, they shyly dodge my advance and fly away, I give chase. Finally, I catch one of their wings and they go to take a seat on the pavement below.
My radar plays an alert tone and, before I can check to see what it is and where, another aircraft comes out of seemingly nowhere above us. The craft flies past at high speed, firing off shots as it goes. I watch as at least a dozen of the shots smash into Rion’s plane. My heart catches in my throat as his plane smokes and drops several hundred feet. No. No, no, no. Not this again.
“One! Are you okay?” I ask, trying unsuccessfully to keep the panic out of my voice.
A long pause makes me panic even more. I consider whether I can really go through this again without completely losing my mind. I was almost entirely gone the last time. Finally, after what seems like a relative eternity, he responds.
“Nothing that can’t be fixed. Two new enemy signatures have entered the combat area. No idea where they came from, but our primary objective remains the defense of the transport. Take down all enemy contacts.”
I breathe out a shaky sigh of relief as the smoke trailing from his plane stops and he regains altitude. I start to regret our earlier argument. Things like this are the reason he made the rule about not leaving anything unfinished before a mission. Silly me, forgetting all about why. Some second in command I am, huh?
The bad guys don’t give me too much time for self-pity. Within seconds, one flies past in front of me and I give chase, rolling with the flow of the battle. Rion comes up and knocks an enemy latched onto my tail out of the sky just as I shove a rocket in the engine of my own target. Flaming metal falls through the sky as I look for another target, only to find the last one disappearing in front of Akane.
“That’s the last of the enemies on radar mopped up. Return to formation around the transport,” Rion orders.
“What do you think are the odds that that was the last of them?” Kat asks.
“Honestly? There’s a pretty good chance. We’re coming up on the base in just over five minutes now, so any hostile threats beyond this point would be hard pressed to get to us. Keep your wits about you, though, just in case.”
My mind quickly jumps to the experimental HVEC aircraft we encountered a few weeks previously. If those things are in play, it would be more than possible for the enemies to get to us, take us out, and get out before anyone even notices.
Thankfully, this seems not to be the case as we get the cargo plane to the base without further incident. After it’s securely parked on the airfield, we four escorts land to stretch and rearm before making the return trip to Misawa.
Chapter 7
Captain Hitomi Saruyama
November 13, 2112, 01:56
The cushioned thud of my footsteps on the carpeted floor reaches my ears as I walk down the hallway of the pilot dormitory. By the time I finished looking over my plane, it was already late and almost everyone had turned in for the night. There’s a thick silence around the place as I move down the halls through the dim glow emitted by the nighttime lights.
I check the time and come to a sort of decision with myself. I walk up another staircase and down to the point where the hallways intersect. For a while, I just stand there pondering. Should I really do this? Yeah, I guess I should.
I take a deep breath and knock on the door. The sound reverberates in the silence, echoing down the hallways. When the echo fades out, the only sound I can hear is my own heartbeat. After a while, I knock again and wait for a reply that never comes.
Maybe he’s in his room already, then. But if he’s there, he might have fallen asleep by now. I guess there’s no harm in checking either way. I take the trip back down to the second floor and walk down the hallways until I find the door I’m looking for. I knock softly on the door but, again, find no response. I guess he really is sleep, then.
In one final effort, I pull out my phone and tap out a message: ‘Still awake? Where are you?’ I stand there in the hallway for a moment, leaning against the wall as I wait for a reply. It doesn’t take long. I pull the screen back up to read the message. ‘Roof,’ it reads, simply.
Steeling the last of my resolve, I put the device away and climb back upstairs, this time locating the staircase on the third floor leading to the roof. Once at the top of the flight, I rest my hand on the doorknob for a moment before turning it and pushing the door open.
A cold night breeze blows across the mostly-exposed rooftop. I huddle into myself a little and silently curse myself for not having the foresight to bring a jacket. Looking around, I find Rion leaning on the railing, staring out at the night sky over the ocean. If it weren’t for the situation, he’d actually look pretty hot. Okay, he totally still looks hot. Anyway. I walk up next to him and lean on the railing a few feet away.
“Hey,” I say, awkwardly.
“Hey,” he replies, dryly.
“Can we talk?”
He looks at me briefly, then back off into space. There’s a long pause and his head moves back and forth slightly as he seems to consider. “Sure,” he says, finally.
“Okay. Um. Where do I begin? Okay. I should start by saying I’m sorry. I said a lot of things earlier that were totally uncalled for and if anyone else was caught talking to you like that, they’d be thrown in a cell to cool off. It was rude and disrespectful of me to talk to you that way.
“Honestly, I don’t know what came over me. You were just describing Nicole with such warm, endearing terms and memories and there was genuine excitement in your voice. It made my heart hurt to hear you describe someone else that way with such love. Now that I think about it, I was probably just really jealous.
“I totally threw off the chemistry of the team with my little tantrum, too. Nobody said anything, but I know they could tell there was discord between their top two and it didn’t help morale. I failed in my duty as an officer at that point and it’s something I’ll have to work to correct. But that comes later. Right now, I’m here to apologize to Rion, not Lt. Col. Tachibana. Do you think we’ll be able to work through this?”
He looks at me briefly again before staring into space once more. I’ve come to realize that means he’s thinking it over. I hope. A long time passes in complete silence, me waiting with bated breath for his response and him staring off into space. The night air seems to chill a further ten degrees while I stand waiting.
“Hitomi.” He says my name so softly I almost don’t hear him. His voice comes out tired and ragged. “You’re my best friend and I love you, so there’s no way I won’t forgive you. But I am angry. I’m so angry it hurts. I can understand why you might be jealous. That’s pretty normal, all things considered. But a lot of the things you said were filled with so much hate that I had to wonder who it was I was talking to for a moment.
“Things never would have escalated so far if you’d just talked to me like this when I approached you about it in the first place. What if one of us had died up there? The other would have to live the rest of their life knowing that the last words between us were filled with hate and malice, and that we could never reconcile things. Could you imagine how haunting that would be?”
My eyes start to feel warm as I fight back tears. “I know. I’m sorry. You almost did die up there.” I nod to the freshly stitched bullet wound on his shoulder, hidden by his flight suit and jacket. “That’s part of what made me realize just how stupid I was being. But, honestly, I don’t want to have to think you’re about to die before every time I have an epiphany.
“I’m sorry for what I said about Saitama. I know it wasn’t your fault. The Rion I know would have done everything pos
sible to stop that if he could, even if it meant blowing his cover and putting himself in harm’s way. I know it’s harsh to weigh the lives of millions against one, but I’m glad you didn’t die. I’m glad you came back home and I’m glad I didn’t lose you. Even through my stupid, petty jealousy, I’m really, really glad you’re here.”
“I know, Hitomi. I know.” He lets out a long sigh and looks me straight in the eye, holding the gaze this time. “No more fights, okay? You and Kanade are literally the only reasons I can keep fighting after all the horrific things that have happened. I don’t think I could handle losing either of you.”
“Okay, Rion,” I say, tears now running freely down my face. “I understand, and I’m sorry. I won’t try to put you through that again.”
“I’m sorry for losing my cool,” he says after a moment’s pause.
“You’re fine. I deserved it.”
We stand there for a few minutes quietly in the cool air, staring out at the point where the dark ocean mass meets the starry night sky. I feel as if a huge weight has been lifted off my chest now that I’ve had a chance to talk things through with him.
Another cold breeze blows across the rooftop, causing me to shiver. I huddle in on myself again and hug my arms to my chest, rubbing them to warm up. Silently, Rion takes off his jacket and drapes it over my shoulders.
“Thanks,” I tell him, pulling the jacket tightly around me. It has a gentle scent on it, the smell of the man I love. I let myself take it in, enjoying the moment. “You know,” I begin after a pause, “with everything that’s happened so far, it’s hard to believe we’re still only twenty-three. I mean, you’re already a lieutenant colonel, for crying out loud.”
“Huh. I guess that is true.”
The way he says it, it’s like he’d even forgotten his own rank and age. The look of bewilderment on his face is priceless. I giggle in spite of myself, the earlier tension forgotten. He leans over and kisses me on the forehead, then puts an arm around me and pulls me closer to him. I lean over on his chest, some wild mixture of tears and laughter on my face.
“I really do love you, girl,” he says softly, almost at a whisper, facing the wind.
“Huh?” I reply, caught off guard, a blush forming on my cheeks to join the cacophony of emotions playing out on my face.
He looks straight at me again and enraptures my eyes with his. “I said I love you, Hitomi Saruyama.” He says it clearly, more forcefully this time. And he uses my full name. My giddy, young, schoolgirl heart does backflips. “Even if you are somehow even crazier than I am,” he adds for flavor.
“Shut up, you,” I reply, punching him playfully on the chest. We stand on the rooftop a while longer, talking and enjoying the night. “Tonight is a good night.”
“Yeah. It is.”
Chapter 8
Captain Hitomi Saruyama
November 13, 2112, 09:22
I savor the taste of my late breakfast, complementing the delicious waffles and omelet with a crisp, refreshing glass of orange juice. Rion and I were up so late talking on the rooftop that I overslept and nearly missed breakfast. He sits quietly beside me, having already finished his meal, a glass of his favorite peach tea in his hand. His other hand rests unconsciously on my upper thigh.
I’m going to have to have another talk with him later. That hand is just a couple of inches from getting some things stirring that shouldn’t be this early in the morning. Then again, he’s probably well aware of that with as much as we’ve teased each other over the years.
Things between us have pretty much gone back to normal after our late-night talk. That little fall out was our first fight, ever. At the time, it seemed like things were so fractured they may never go back the way they were. Now, here we are a few hours later, rubber-banded back to the way things were as if nothing ever happened. Maybe even closer, if the positioning of his hand is any indication.
Kat, sitting on my other side, pokes me on the shoulder. “So, did you guys fix things up?” she asks, leaning in so no one else can hear.
“Yeah, somehow. It worked out much better than I expected, actually,” I admit, motioning to Rion’s rogue hand.
She glances down and raises an eyebrow, then winks and gives a thumb up. “You go, girl.”
I smile and go back to my food. I’m just finishing up when something on the news catches my attention. Images of a building with a huge hole in the roof play across the screen. There’s rubble strewn all around and emergency vehicles swarm the place. Smoke from the remnants of fires curls lazily into the air.
It’s probably just more news about Republic bombings near the border towns. Something about this place seems oddly familiar, though. A somber newscaster appears on the screen. It’s too loud in the room to hear what he’s saying, but the subtitles are on and I can just barely read them.
“Tragic news today coming out of Karamay, China. Late last night, authorities responded to reports of explosions around Hongyuan Gumin School. Upon reaching the scene, emergency crews discovered the school in flames, with a section of its structure collapsed. Being late at night, this normally would mean nothing beyond the cost of repairing the building.
“Unfortunately, students and staff were still in the building. It was a night the administration set aside for the students to spend the night and work on various projects. When the building went up, they were all still inside. So far, the death toll has been confirmed at one-hundred and thirty students and nine staff members, with many more wounded. We will keep you updated as the situation progresses.”
Over by the collection area for dirty dishes, I hear the clank of a tray hitting the floor, tableware jostling against each other. I look over to see Akane staring at the screen in disbelief. Her hands still hold the position of the food tray that has long since vacated them. With a sudden realization, it dawns on me why that area looks so familiar.
In the next moment, Akane has dashed out of the cafeteria, the tray long forgotten where it fell. After giving my leg a quick squeeze, Rion is already up and crossing the room after her. I’m right behind him. We hurry out of the building and across the base grounds looking for her. After a few minutes, I start to wonder if we’re even going to find where she got off to.
Finally, I catch sight of her alone, squatting beside a tree with her head in her hands. Rion and I come out of our jog and approach her slowly. When we get closer, I can hear her sobbing quietly to herself. Once we’re a few feet away from her, we stop and stand there quietly for a moment.
“Akane?” Rion says, finally.
The girl jumps and turns around, quickly wiping her eyes and snapping into a wobbly salute. She looks so pitiful standing there shaking, hand chopped to her forehead with tears still running down her face.
“L-Lt. Colonel Tachibana, sir. Captain Saruyama, m-ma’am.”
“No need for all that,” Rion waves her off. “We’re not here as your COs right now. You can relax.”
Usually, the strictly disciplined Akane would just stand at parade rest. This time, she resumes her previous kneeling fetal position. She must really be having a hard time if she’s willing to look that defenseless in front of anyone, let alone two of the highest-ranking people around her.
Rion kneels right beside her, letting her quietly sob to herself for a while. A few moments later, after she’s relaxed a little bit again, he turns to her and starts talking.
“It’s about the news report? The school?”
Perceptive bastard, that one. I hadn’t even seen him looking at the news feed.
“How did you…” she begins, then relents in a torrent of sloppy, tear-filled words. “I killed them! I dropped that bomb on the school and murdered all those kids. I knew it was a school and I still blew it up. Their blood… it’s on my hands.”
Boy, does that set of statements sound familiar. I take a quick glance at Rion. He just nods and sits there for a moment.
“Akane, there’s no way you could have known anyone was in that building at
that hour. Besides, if you’ll remember, I’m the one who gave you the order to fire.”
“But I still dropped the bomb! Maybe I could’ve done something different. Maybe I could have used the machine cannons instead.”
“It’s no good thinking about maybes and what you could have done. It’ll send you to a dark place that no one should ever go. Trust me on that one. It’s a place I spent a very long time in and only barely managed to come out of recently.
“Also, just the impact from one of our rockets couldn’t do that much damage. I read the report and most of the damage was caused by ordnance already on the ground exploding. That would have caught regardless of how we came at that building. That entire operation was smuggled up there under cover of construction and many more lives would have been lost if our transport was shot down and all of the munitions it was carrying detonated on the ground.”
When did he… I never saw him pick up anything but his breakfast and we were together until at least four in the morning. The news report didn’t go into that kind of detail on the explosion. We may be best friends, but it’s times like this I’m reminded that Rion is a terrifyingly competent military commander.
“What… How did you deal with it? What stopped you from thinking about all those lost lives?”
Rion stops for a moment and thinks about it. Then he looks over at me, unspoken words written all over his face.
“Family,” he says, finally. “The people close to me dragged me out of it kicking and screaming with their support. Honestly, you never stop thinking about them. You just learn to accept them and move on knowing there’s more good that you can do.”
That’s the first time I’ve heard any of that out of him, at least all neatly packaged like that. It hasn’t been that long since he came to that realization himself, so I’m sure the advice is fresh at hand. We talked over a bunch of the things haunting him last night after we reconciled, and he finally came to terms with a lot of it.
Beyond the Clouds_Retaliation Page 4
